


Scars

by Whoevenknows



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, Scars, mentions of others - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-22 00:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9574307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whoevenknows/pseuds/Whoevenknows
Summary: Niles is curious why the secluded prince carries so many scars and sets to find out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got some headcanons I'm writing out~

Niles leaned against the wall of the training grounds, watching as Corrin ran through his sword training. Swinging his blade, wearing nothing but loose trousers, sweating in the midday heat. The prince seemed oblivious to the outlaw watching him. 

Niles hummed to himself. Ever since the prince had basically forced his company upon the man, he’d been intrigued. His lord’s older brother. A man who’d lived his life in solitude. Niles had heard stories about him from Leo. Stories about him and Xander training, about how he showed very little aptitude for magic, about how he enjoyed poking fun at his siblings occasionally. 

Corrin seemed to be a very normal individual. But Niles was sure there was more to him than that. He was almost too eager to get to know people. Niles had known him for a very short period time, his lord deciding to join his wayward brother in the fight against the “invisible force” late into the fight. But Corrin always made time to talk to Niles and Odin, even though he could tell Odin overwhelmed the lord. 

He heard the prince lay his sword against the wall next to the outlaw. “What brings you to the training grounds?” Corrin asked, picking up a towel on the bench nearby and pressing it to his face. 

Niles watched as he wiped the sweat from his face and neck, marveling in the long, lean muscles flexing in his arms. He certainly had the body of a prince, didn’t he? “You are always coming to me. I thought I’d mix it up for you.” Niles tilted his head up. “You’re quite something with that sword.” 

Corrin chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m nothing compared to Xander. Or Ryoma.” Ah, yes, his other older brother. “Those two are the real sword masters.” 

“You’re too modest, my lord.” 

“Please. Just call me Corrin. I hardly think I count as a Lord anymore. I did desert both sides.” Corrin tossed the towel to a basket near the entrance of the hall. 

“Your butler and maid seem to disagree.”

“They claim habits are hard to break.” Corrin shrugged, grabbing his shirt from the bench. “I suppose it would be weird to have them call me by just my name.”

Niles watched as he pushed both his arms through the gray, sleeveless shirt, enjoying the way his muscles stretched as he pulled it over his head. His eyes drifted lower, catching the scar scattered across his right hip. It was the strangest pattern he’d ever seen in a scar, having a few himself. It certainly wasn’t from a sword, like the deep one on his shoulder. Magic?

“Corrin, then?” Niles lilted, shifting against the wall, trying to appear disinterested. “Mind telling me about that interesting scar there on your hip?” 

Corrin let the shirt fall over his torso, laying loosely over his skin. “What?”

“The scar. On your hip.” 

“Oh.” Corrin frowned, scratching at his side where it was. “It’s nothing.”

“Aw, don’t you want to tell your old friend Niles?” He joked lightly. “It stretches across your muscles so nicely too.” 

Corrin shrugged. “You told me basically nothing about your past when I asked.” He leaned closer to Niles, breathing against his jaw. “I need to leave something to your imagination.” He laughed once, backing off. 

The outlaw rose and eyebrow at the prince. “Fair enough.” 

“Get to know me better, and maybe I’ll tell you.” Corrin backed up to the entrance, waving at Niles. “See you around.” He disappeared behind the wall.

Niles hummed to himself. So Corrin could play with people. He was usually so straightforward. Now he was interested.


	2. Chapter 2

“Well, well, look who dropped by….” Niles leaned against the building housing the dining area, calling out when he saw Corrin heading in for dinner. 

Corrin started when he heard him, looking over. “Oh, hey Niles.”

“Hey yourself, Lord Corrin.”

“I thought I told you that you could drop the title.”

Niles hummed, pushing off the wall. “I rather like the way it sounds.”

Corrin sighed. “Whatever.”

“Say, Lord Corrin. Would you like to join me for dinner? Since you’re already going in.” Niles rose his eyebrows, giving Corrin a smirk. 

He watched the lord shrug and nod, holding back the door for Niles to enter before him. Azura was on cooking duty today. Again. Niles commented on it being her third day behind the counter, and Corrin mentioned how she seemed to really enjoy it, so he asked her to cover for the week. Today she’d made dishes with berries, handing the plates over to the two men with a slight smile on her face. 

Niles led them to the back of the room along a wall and sat down at an empty table. It was a little late for dinner, but the royals usually ended up eating late, getting out of war meetings after the whole of the army had eaten. The room was mostly empty save for a few scattered people still conversing after their meal.

“Why the sudden interest in hanging out, Niles?” Corrin asked, sticking his fork into the dish. “You seemed to be avoiding me for a time.” 

“I wasn’t avoiding you.”

“Well, you certainly avoided answering anything I asked.” Corrin covered his mouth while he chewed. “And don’t even give me that ‘I needed to get to know you’ line. You wouldn’t even tell me simple things like if you’d take night watch.” 

The outlaw shrugged, picking at his food. “A man enjoys playing a mystery.” 

Corrin scoffed. “Still in that phase, then.” 

“It would seem.” 

Niles leaned on his hand, watching Corrin continue to eat his food. He was back to wearing his armor, no doubt having had to dress up for the meeting he probably just got out of. Niles missed the sleeveless shirt and loose pants. It was a good look for him.

“You have your own way of avoiding questions.”

Corrin rose an eyebrow, questioning the statement. “I’ve answered almost everything you asked me?”

“In very vague ways, yes.” 

“I don’t know much about my childhood I’m afraid. It’s all vague.”

“The scar on your cheek?”

“What is with you and my scars?” Corrin huffed, covering the side of his face with his hand. 

“But is that memory vague?” Niles leaned forward, a teasing look in his eye. 

Corrin’s face dropped. “No.”

“You remember it clearly?”

“Yes.” 

“Then tell me.” Niles sat back in his chair, folding his arms, amused. It was obvious Corrin didn’t like to talk about himself at all. “I’ll tell you about one of mine.” 

Corrin seemed to think for a minute. He reached out to Niles plate that he’d barely eaten anything off of, and picked up one of the crackers, twirling it in his long slender fingers. “I guess I could…. Alright.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I was about 13. And my teenage years are less blurry than the childhood years. But my father, King Garon, had come to visit me. I was excited, because I hadn’t seen him in almost an entire year. He didn’t visit very often, as you can imagine. And he was bringing the whole family with him.

“I was 13, and I was so sure that now that I was old enough, father would let me leave the Northern Fortress if I proved myself. He hadn’t said as much, but Camilla had suggested if I really devoted myself to my sword skills, he might consider it. So all year, I’d practiced and practiced. And then he arrived and asked how my studies were going. I told him they were fine. And then I asked if he’d like to see how much better of a fighter I was from last year.

“I’d planned on just showing him forms or fighting one of his servants… but he picked up a training axe and stood in front of me. Needless to say, I lost. It was truly a humbling loss too. But for his finishing blow, he gave me this scar on my face….”

Niles stayed silent after the story, watching the way Corrin’s face turned every direction but his. “It used to bother me. But it’s just part of my face now. Jakob said I was lucky he didn’t damage the eye socket or my facial bones.” Corrin reached up and brushed his fingers across his scar. “Father said it was ‘something to keep me humble’. Something about enemies taking advantage of confidence, or something.”

“I think it adds an extra interest to your face.” Niles reached out, brushing his fingers along the scar gracing the lord’s right cheek. “And certainly to your story.”

Corrin watched Niles’ hand as he pulled it away. Niles was known for invading personal space, but he’d never touched Corrin before. And certainly never his face. 

“Okay, enough about me. Tell me about you now.” 

“Hmmmm, which scar would you like? I got a million.” Niles sang, watching Corrin take more food of his plate. 

“I’ve never even seen them. I’ve only seen your eyepatch, and I’m pretty sure you’d just lie to me if I asked about that.” 

“What makes you think that?”

Corrin made a noncommittal noise. “It seems like it would be very… personal.”

“And your cheek scar isn’t?”

“Not really.”

“A father scarring his child isn’t personal to you?” Niles hummed, leaning on his hand. 

Corrin just shrugged. “It was a long time ago and it’s not like he was even my real father. It might have been personal a few years ago but not anymore.” Corrin shook his head, taking the last bit of food off Niles’ plate. “Anyway. Why don’t you pick which one you’re willing to tell me about?”

Corrin almost took his statement back when he saw the gleam in Niles’ eye. He watched as Niles pulled down the collar of his shirt, smirking. The skin on his chest was littered in several patches of sharp scars. But Niles pointed to one that sat just below where his shirt usually fell.

“This one here is from a stabbing. I was eight years old and a man caught me stealing from his barn.”

Corrin looked up from his chest. “What, that’s it? I gave you a nice detailed story, and all I get in return is a sentence and a half?” He raised his eyebrow playfully. “Hardly fair, don’t you think?”

Niles chuckled to himself. “Yes, but you also got to ogle me, so I think we’re even.” 

Sighing, Corrin grabbed Niles’ empty plate, stacking it on top of his own and standing up. “Well, Niles, it’s been a pleasure eating with you. But I must be getting back to my quarters for the evening.” 

Niles leaned back in his chair, watching the prince walk away. Interesting indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Victuuri week so it might be a week till I update next
> 
> or it might not we'll see. I'm a writing mood lately so~


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning had Niles seeking out the prince’s company again. He found him at the training grounds once more, this time sparring with his lord Leo, while Prince Xander watched on. Corrin had Leo backing away from a flurry of sharp strikes, until Leo’s foot stepped outside of the circle drawn in the dirt.

Xander broke them apart, having them reset and rest for a moment. 

Today Corrin seemed to favor wearing a sleeveless shirt while sparring. Niles found that a little odd, seeing as today was hotter than the other day. While Xander was talking to Leo, probably lecturing him about stances, with their backs turned away from Corrin, Niles watched as the prince reached down and wiped his forehead with the bottom of his shirt.

And there it was again. That strange scattered scar. And the prince watching very carefully to see if his brothers turned around.

Ah. So that was it. His family didn’t know of his strange scar. Perhaps not even of the deep cut on the shoulder as well. Niles hummed to himself with this new information.   
Xander stepped outside of the circle, motioning for Leo and Corrin to start again. Again, Corrin drove Leo back. Niles knew Leo preferred magic over the sword, but he hadn’t expected to watch him get beaten with such ease. But Corrin was clearly well practiced in his technique. 

They broke apart again, this time Xander standing next to Corrin and talking with him. Corrin nodded, wiping his face with the back of his hand this time. Xander clapped him on the shoulder and Corrin grinned before walking to the exit.

And right into Niles.

“Oh, good morning, Niles.” Corrin greeted with a bright smile. 

“Good morning, Lord Corrin.”

“What brings you out to the training grounds? Are you here to watch me again?” 

“Perhaps.”

“Well, Xander and I are going to spar next, after he’s done with Leo. So it probably won’t be much of a show.” 

“Oh, I disagree milord. Any time I get to see you in motion is a show.” 

Niles chuckled as Corrin rolled his eyes. “I’ll see you around, Niles.” And there he went. 

\--- 

Evening fell over the camp gently, a light rain picking up outside. Niles sat in his quarters, flipping through a book absentmindedly. He’d read it before, but there wasn’t a whole lot of new reading material to be found at war. 

As he reached the end of the book, again, his door creaked open. Leo stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. 

“Niles.”

“Lord Leo. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you this fine evening?” 

“I hear you’ve been playing around with my brother.” 

Niles kept his face neutral. “Lord Xander? Of course not.”

Leo sighed and held his face in his hand. “You know I mean Corrin.” 

“Did he tell you this?”

“No. Odin told me. He’s seen you talking to him a lot lately.” Leo took a seat at the small table in the center of the room. 

Niles hummed and sat up on his bed. “Is that so?”

“My brother is delicate.” 

Niles rose an eyebrow at that. “Is he?” He smirked, leaning forward. “It didn’t seem that way when he was beat you in that sparring match this morning.”

“Physically, yes, he’s strong and capable, but mentally?” Leo shook his head, staring over at the wall. “He was sheltered away for his entire life, and now suddenly, he’s thrust into a war, leading everyone into battle, when he barely has experience talking to people outside of our family.”

“What exactly, Lord Leo, does that have to do with me?” 

“Nothing, really. I’m just warning you. Get close to him or don’t. It’s really none of my business. But just be careful with him.” Leo got up and left the room, shutting the door before Niles could respond to the request. 

Seeing Corrin as delicate struck Niles as odd. The man was anything but. Niles had charged into battle next to him enough times now to know he was nothing close to delicate. But Leo did have a different perspective on him. They had grown up together. Leo had seen the problems of making a child grow up in solitude. And he was a little awkward, socially, if Niles was being honest. 

Oh, but he was so interesting. Turning into a dragon wasn’t something everyone could do, and he did it with such grace it was hard to believe that the ability was a recent discovery. The secrets he kept close to his chest intrigued Niles to no end. 

Niles glanced out the window, the rain growing heavier. Out in the distance along the castle walls, Corrin was patrolling next to Kaze, the Hoshidan ninja who seemed to have attached himself to the prince. They appeared to be talking, and Niles watched as the prince’s face broke into a smile. Even the smile was guarded.

Perhaps Leo was thinking of the person his brother was before this war began. Niles had never met the boy locked in the tower. There was no doubt a lot that had happened since Leo came back from the border, enraged with his older brother abandoning them. Leo had changed in that time too. 

Niles hummed to himself. He would just have to find out for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I wanted, but I got a bit burned out from Victuuri week so.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the first part of this sitting in my writing folder for ages so I figured eh, go for it. 
> 
> For future ref: Corrin has a scar on his cheek, one large scar on his shoulder, and what looks like a lightning scar on his hip.
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr: Myswordhandtwitches.tumblr.com


End file.
